Maybe touched a herpes blister - what now?

[FearHFingers]

On 9/17 I received a "lap" dance, I was fully clothed, the dancer fully nude. During the dance my fingertips touched the small of her back and felt like a 1" region of bumps; it was dark and I didn't look carefully or ask her about it, but pulled my hands away. She didn't wince in pain or say a word about it, but I began worrying -- blisters? Only my fingertips touched that part, but my hands touched other parts (not crotch). 15-20 min. later I washed my hands with soap & got out of my clothes; several hrs. later a shower. (1) Is it possible to have herpes in the small of the back?  (2) Is it possible to get herpes by touching someone's blisters with your bare fingers? (herpes whitlow?) (3) For how long should I avoid sharing towels, touching eyes or lips (mine or those of others), etc.? Are my fingertips the only part of my body that I should consider "at risk/potentially disease transmitting"?  If I have an itch in my eye, can I rub it with my bare knuckle, or should I use a tissue or handkerchief as a barrier? By handling my penis during urination, could I transmit the virus there?  If I wipe myself after defecation and my finger breaks through the tissue, could I give myself genital herpes there? Are my computer keyboard or mouse able to transmit the virus? Most importantly, I worry about my child and pregnant wife: Can I hold their hands?  Should I be the only one that handles my dirty laundry? (4) If I see a red dot or something on a knuckle or another part of my body, should I worry about it?  How many days or weeks without physical symptoms would suggest to you that I am "in the clear"? But -- because I'm too much of a worrier to avoid testing altogether -- in the absence of any blisters or other symptoms, when should I get a HerpeSelect test?  Should I wait 6 mos.?  Or after 6 wks.?  Is there some other time that it will be important for me to be tested by/after?  Can I help with delivery?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I think Willy851 has the right idea.  The chances of your contracting herpes in the way you describe is vanishingly small.  Since you have no blisters or open wounds, there is no reason for you to avoid touching anything or anyone or sharing towels.  If you don't get any visible lesions--and you won't--there is no need to get a herpes test.

For your own mental health, I strongly urge you to avoid situations which will induce this kind of guilty panic.

If you see any blisters on your fingers, show them to a doctor.  meantime, get treatment or counseling for your anxiety.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[willy851]

You don't have it, stop panicking. She didn't have herpes on her back and the blisters are not that big.
The nurse needs to go back to school. Stop washing your hands. You will cause other problems.

[willy851]

Your obsessed with herpes. It is an extremely common virus that the majority of people have. You don't see people with lesions all over there bodies. Herpes likes the mouth and genital region. Oral herpes HSV1 is the common cold sore. It pops up under stress, colds or sun exposure for some people. Most people rarely have outbreaks. Don't think about the few that have random outbreaks. They are rare and typically have other problems.
You might want to think about talking with your doctor about your anxiety. You really need to get over this.
The grass is never different, on the other side. Ovoid getting yourself in situations.
Take your wife out on a date and apply your obsessions towards her.

[FearHFingers]

So the virus doesn't live long on objects?  That's a relief.  

I'm sorry if this seems ridiculous, but if I picked up a carrot stick and ate it, or picked up a sandwich and ate it, I wouldn't be in any danger of auto-infecting the mouth area unless I had sliced my mouth shaving or eating a bone or something, right?  Otherwise the whole world would have herpes all over their bodies, right?  

[FearHFingers]

Thank you again Willy851.  Guilt and anxiety are destroying me and I will try to calm down.  Maybe they were warts, maybe they were something else.  

[FearHFingers]

Thank you for your response.  

So I can touch my family, touch my genital region, rub my eyes, scratch my nose, eat food with my hands, let someone use my keyboard, etc.?  

Guilty panic is exactly right.  I pledge to avoid those situations.  I obviously can't take the aftermath.  

I'll have to get a test anyway because my brain won't let me off the hook. But I'll try to rest easier.  

[willy851]

I think your suffering from guilt.
Herpes does not stick to objects like that. Even though it is easy to get, it still takes special circumstances. Toilet seats even if the previous person was under a bad attack is not very likely.  Kids spread herpes by sucking on toys and sharing it with the next kid. The virus stays active for seconds. She could have had one of millions of possible bumps. From a zit, mole to an infected pore.
Believe me anxiety will destroy you. Stop beating yourself up.
Theirs a 99.999% chance you don't have anything. Besides herpes 1 is almost the norm. Most people have it. But not on there back.

[FearHFingers]

Willy851, thanks for your reassurance.  I really am in full panic mode.  I can barely eat.  I'm afraid about my fingers brushing up against my wife or daughter, I'm afraid that if I touch a book to read to my daughter the virus will remain on the book for a time, and I'm afraid to eat a sandwich, lest my hands put the virus onto the bread.  It's sickening.  

When I said 1" region, I meant that I could reach around both sides of her waist and feel it on either side.  I guess that means they were centrally located, and I read that herpes blisters are usually on one side or the other of the body.  Each bump was probably as big as a pinky-tip in diameter, maybe a bit less, if that makes any sense.  

[FearHFingers]

During the 3-week waiting period, how often should I wash my hands?  Right now, I am doing it every hour, which I presume is excessive.  If I put a dirty dish in the sink, is the dish contagious.  (See how worried I am?  Sorry.)  

[FearHFingers]

I had a herpes test several years ago and at that time was negative for both.

My fingers don't strike me as particularly cut up -- in fact I play guitar so one hand at least has callouses -- but the nails are trimmed -- perhaps there are microcuts?

NOTE: A nurse answered (1) it's possible (she didn't speculate about what else it might have been); (2) without open wounds on your fingers it's unlikely, though possible, presuming those were herpes blisters; (3) if you've washed your hands with antibacterial soap, you should be non-contagious, but you may want to play it safe for three weeks (i.e., to 10/8/08): diligent hand-washing; taking care of towels, hand-holding, touching eyes/genital area, etc.; (4) an STD test could be done at two weeks (she seemed to suggest this would be definitive).